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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · rule · lean · branch · lie · can · tube · chest

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. tube — the underground
  3. track — a path
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. tube — a container
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. track — a song
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chest — a box
  15. lean — thin
  16. chest — of your body
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — a division
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com